President William Ruto has formally requested backing from African leaders, including Liberian President Joseph Boakai, for Supreme Court Justice Njoki Ndungu’s candidacy at the International Criminal Court.
Ruto’s endorsement became public following days of speculation about supporting a Kenyan judicial candidate, amid discussions with various Heads of State arriving in Kenya for the Africa Forward Summit scheduled for May 11.
Liberian President Boakai was among the first leaders to meet with Ruto at State House earlier on Sunday.
“I asked President Boakai to support the nomination of Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndungu to the International Criminal Court,” President Ruto confirmed.
Later on, President Ruto engaged with President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, with talks also focusing on Njoki’s potential appointment.
Prior to publicly supporting the Kenyan Supreme Court judge, Ruto conducted multiple consultations with senior government representatives from both the executive and judicial branches, during which Njoki Ndungu emerged as a recommended candidate.
During the recent swearing-in ceremony for new High Court and Environment and Land Court judges earlier this month, President Ruto highlighted what he termed “a unified, cross-party effort to enhance Kenya’s role in global judicial affairs.”
The International Criminal Court is preparing for elections to fill six judicial vacancies, set to occur in December 2026 during the 25th Assembly of States Parties in New York.
Njoki brings significant experience to the table, having previously served as a nominated Member of Parliament from 2003 to 2007. She advocated for groundbreaking legislation such as the Sexual Offences Act and represented Kenya in the Pan-African Parliament during that time.
She was one of nine experts chosen to draft Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, participating in the Committee of Experts (CoE), a pivotal role that influenced Kenya’s contemporary democratic and constitutional systems.
As a policy advocate, she successfully negotiated for paid maternity and paternity leave provisions in the Employment Act and initiated tax-free sanitary towels, greatly improving cost and access for women throughout Kenya.
On the international stage, she worked as a Political Analyst at the African Union (AU), contributing to the Maputo Protocol regarding women’s rights, and served as a UNHCR National Protection Officer handling refugee cases across East Africa.
The Africa-Forward Summit, scheduled between May 11 and 12, will bring over 50 heads of state to Kenya, providing a platform that President William Ruto may utilize to further promote Njoki Ndungu’s candidacy.
The summit will be jointly hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and will concentrate on bolstering economic connections, innovation, and sustainable development between Africa and France.